1 April 2020

NMD4c the neuromuscular network for Canada releases recommendations for home based ventilation.

As COVID-19 continues to affect our daily lives, it is critical that we try to limit the spread of the virus as much as possible. This is especially applicable for patients who use non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV), mechanical airway clearance devices, or are supported by home ventilation for other chronic respiratory failure syndromes.

Chronic respiratory failure conditions include:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Complicated pneumonia
• Cystic fibrosis
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy
• Myotonic dystrophy
• Severe obesity hypoventilation syndrome
• Spinal cord injuries
• Spinal muscular atrophy
• Thoracic cage disorders

The recommendations can be downloaded from the NMD4C website and are available in English and French